French greenhouse-grown tomatoes for REO Veiling

The first brick was laid for the construction of the first greenhouse complex in the greenhouse zone in Arques, northern France on Friday 9 June 2017. The Les Serres des Hauts de France project, an initiative of West Flanders tomato growers Vandevelde will begin production next spring. The French tomatoes will be marketed by REO Veiling under the Les Nouveaux Producteurs (New Growers) label. This latest expansion in the French product supply within both the label’s own national borders and for REO Veiling strengthens the company’s position on the French market.

First brick laid for the Les Serres des Hauts de France project

SARL

Greenhouses don’t always have as much room as they need. But a sustainable cluster of greenhouse businesses in a specially created enterprise zone offers the answer to the problem. This logical solution doesn’t just allow for more efficient management land or integration into the landscape. It also offers prospects for the future and legal certainty for the producers involved in the project. Greenhouse zones are being developed at various sites in different countries. And Northern France is no exception, where a 90 ha agricultural zone dedicated to greenhouses has been established. The greenhouse zone is located in Arques, near Saint-Omer.

The site’s first greenhouse complex is currently under construction, with the first brick laid on Friday 9 June 2017. With a production area of 9 ha, the complex is part of the Les Serres des Hauts de France (SARL) project, spearheaded by Kévin and Jonas Vandevelde. The Vandevelde family are tomato growers from Zedelgem, West Flanders, who have been distributing their product through REO Veiling for years.

“We will soon be producing 6,000 tonnes of tomatoes each year at our site in Arques. The construction of the greenhouse complex is still a few months away from completion. Tomatoes will be planted by the end of this year. They will then be harvested the following spring. We will also be marketing our French product through REO Veiling,” explain brothers Kévin and Jonas Vandevelde.

This means that REO Veiling will be bringing tomatoes grown in Northern France to the market from March to December next year. REO Veiling will be marketing the French tomatoes under the Les Nouveaux Producteurs (New Growers) label. Tomatoes are the seventh French product – after endives, leeks, pot-au-feu, cauliflower, sprouts, and courgettes – to be sold by REO Veiling under this label.

Second domestic market

The development of the greenhouse zone by the local authority in Arques was supported by REO auction in Roeselare, West Flanders, just 75 km from the Northern France municipality. France has become a second domestic market for REO Veiling. Its growing population and falling private garden ownership offer many opportunities for the company. Over the past fifteen years, REO Veiling’s turnover has increased by 35% on the French fresh produce market. Almost half of the company’s fruit and vegetable exports are destined for France, or a fifth of all the fresh produce sold by REO Veiling.

“_The Les Serres des Hauts de France_ project will allow REO Veiling to produce an unparalleled volume of French-grown fruiting vegetables from next year, helping it to market its product on the French market more intensely. Fruiting vegetables are set to help REO Veiling expand on its current range of vegetables grown outdoors in France. In commercial terms, French fruiting vegetables will provide an additional boost in our second domestic market,” determined Paul Demyttenaere, Managing Director of REO Veiling.